Bowling ball cleaner



Oct. 27, 1953 J. J. VARGO 2,656,557

' BOWLING BALL CLEANER Filed May 19, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.

5 Fig. 2

John J. Vargo IIt/VENTOR.

15y MMEM Oct. 27, 1953 J- J. VARGO BOWLING BALL CLEANER Filed May 19,195

Fig. 3

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 John .1. Vargo INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 27, 1953 BOWLING BALL CLEANER John J. Vargo, Oneonta, N.Y., assignor of onethird to Samuel La Monica, Qneonta, and onethird toGeorge W. Squire, Cooperstown, N. Y.

Application May 19, 1950, Serial No. 162,866

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in cleaningapparatus and the primary object of the present invention is to providea device for dry cleaning and dry polishing bowling balls, whicheliminates the necessity and inconvenience of using any kind of specialcleaner or solvent for the entire operation.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide abowling ball cleaner and polisher involving a plurality of endlessdriven belts extending through an opening in a ball cage and adapted tospin and rotate a bowling ball in the cage at high speed against alining in the cage.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a bowling ballcleaning and polishing device wherein a bowling ball will be rotated atapproximately 3000 R. P. M.s for two minutes to reduce to a minimum thelength of time required to effectively and satisfactorily clean andpolish a bowling ball.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a bowlingball cleaner and polisher that is simple and practical in construction,strong and reliable in use, small and compact in structure, inexpensiveto manufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for whichthe same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the present invention with the upper halfof the cage swung to an open position;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the present invention and showingthe upper half of the cage swung to its closed position;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane ofsection line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and,

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane ofsection line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose ofillustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the numeral 10 represents a supporting frame including a pairof inverted U-shaped side members I2 and I4 having inturned flanges l6at their lower ends that constitute bearing feet.

Diagonal braces and 22 are terminally secured to the side members l2 andI4 to retain the side members spaced parallel to each other.

A pair of uprights or posts 24 are secured by welding or the like to themember 12 and their lower ends are turned inwardly to form feet 26 thatare coplanar with the feet 16, I8 to reinforce and steady the frame. Theposts 24 support hori zontal bearings 28 that rotatably support a drivenshaft 30 on which there is mounted an outer pair of pulleys 32 and aninner pair of pulleys 34. The pulleys 34 being smaller in diameter thanthe pulleys 32.

A second pair of uprights or posts 36 are secured by welding or the liketo the member I 4 and their lower ends are also turned inwardly to formfeet 38 that are coplanar with the feet l6, l8 and 26 to reinforce andsteady the frame. The posts 35 support a pair of horizontal bearings 40that rotatably support a second driven shaft 42 that parallels the shaft30 and which supports an outer pair of pulleys 44 and an inner pair ofpulleys 45.

The pulleys 45 are smaller in diameter than the pulleys 44 and thepulleys 32 and 34 are substantially equal in diameter to the pulleys 44and 46 respectively. A pair of outside, endless V-belts 48 extendbetween the shafts and are trained about the outside pulleys 32 and 44,and an inner pair of endless V-belts 49 extend between the shafts andare trained over the inside pulleys 34 and 46. The upper flights of theouter belts 48 lie in a horizontal plane above and parallel to ahorizontal plane through the upper flights of the inside belts.

A cage 50 is mounted on the frame l0 and con sists of upper and lowerhemispherical members 52 and 54 that are hinged together :as at 56. Thelower member 54 is provided with a peripheral flange 58 that isremovably secured to the web portions of the members l2 and I4 by boltsor the like 60. The inner periphery of each member 52, 54 is providedwith a cleaning and polishing cloth or lining 62 or suitable brushes maybe mounted within the members 52 and 54.

The lower member 54 is formed with an opening 64 through which the upperflights of the belts 32, 34, 44 and 46 are received. The upper flightsof the belts are positioned within the cage sufficient to contact abowling ball confined in the cage and impart rotation and spin or twistto the bowling ball.

Means is provided. for rotating the belts and this means comprises amotor 65 whose drive shaft supports a pulley 58 that is connected to apulley 10 on the shaft 30 by an endless drive belt 12.

In practical use of the present invention, the

In view of the foregoing description taken in.

conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clearunderstanding of the device will be quite apparent to those sliilled inthis art. A more detailed description is accord ingly deemedunnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shownand described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same issusceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of theinvention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is? 1. A bowlingball cleaning machine compris inga frame, a cage mounted on said frameand adapted to confine a bowling ball therein, said cage being composedof upper and lower hinged-- 1y connected semi-spherical sections eachhaving a soft lining therein for cleaning a bowling ball, the lowersection of said cage being held stationary on the frame and having anopening therein, a pair of spaced parallel shafts rotatamy supported onsaid frame, a plurality of pulleys on each of said shafts, endless beltstrained about said pulleys and about said shafts and including upperflights extending through the opening in said cage for rotating andtwisting a bowling ball in the cage, and means for rotating said shafts.

.2; A bowling ball cleaning machine comprising a frame, a cage mountedon said frame and adapted to confine a bowling ball therein, said cagehaving a soft lining therein for cleaning a bowling ball, said cagehaving an opening therein and a plurality of rotating belts received insaid opening for imparting twist and rotation to a bowling ball confinedin said cage, said belts including an inner pair of parallel belts eachhaving an upper flight entering the opening and an outer pair ofparallel belts each having an upper flight entering the opening anddisposed in a horizontal plane above a horizontal plane through theupper flights of the inner belts.

3. A bowling ball cleaning machine comprisiiig a'rrame, a cage mountedon said frame and adapted to confine a bowling ball therein, said cagehaving a soft lining therein for cleaning a bowling ball, said cagehaving an opening therein, a pair of parallel driven shafts rotatablysupported on said frame, a pair of outside pulleys on each of saidshafts, a pair of inside pulleys on each of said shafts, said insidepulleys being smaller in diameter than the outside pulleys, a pair ofoutside belts extending between said shafts and trained over the outsidepulleys, and a pair of inside belts extending between said shafts andtrained over the inside pulleys, each of said belts having an upperflight including a central portion received in said opening for retatingand spinning a bowling ball in said cage, the upper flights of saidoutside belts lying in a horizontal plane parallel to and above a hori-Zontal plane through the upper flights of the inside belts, said insidearid outside pulleys being disposed completely exterio'rly of said cage.

JOHN J. VARGC).

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NameDate Passow e r Dec. 31, 1940 Knipp Jan. 18, 1944 Tholen May 20, 194?Bune May 10, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain June 16,1908 Great Britain Sept. 18, 1934 Number Number

